


Carmen, Couched

by DraceDomino



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Glasses, Kissing, Light Angst, Pouting, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-08 08:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21232451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraceDomino/pseuds/DraceDomino
Summary: After the events of Stockholm in season two, Carmen is left wounded on the couch back at their new headquarters. She's been stewing for weeks by now - torn between her belief that Julia betrayed her to ACME, and the deep, aching crush she's been harboring for the sweet, mousy agent.Julia Argent keeps coming to visit, but Carmen keeps turning her away. But now, the time has finally come for Carmen to let her in and come face to face with that adorable girl she has such conflicted feelings for.





	Carmen, Couched

Carmen, Couched  
-by Drace Domino

“Hey Caaahm,” Ivy’s heavily accented voice carried through the headquarters, and Carmen just barely had the strength to lift her head to hear it. When her ally finished her thought, she immediately wished she hadn’t. “She’s back again. Want me to get rid of her?”

Carmen remained quiet, her arms closing around her figure and her knees pulling up towards her chest. It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Stockholm, three weeks since a rush to trust led her down the path to disaster. The wounds that Carmen suffered during her fall into the snow were healing as well as could be expected, but she was a far, far cry from her prime. With Shadow-san off on yet another mission and Zack and Ivy working on gearing up their new home, there was little more for Carmen to do than lay on the couch and recover. Three long weeks, and that recovery was still moving slowly...three long weeks, and that girl still kept coming ‘round to knock on their door.

“Send her away, Ivy! I don’t want anything to do with her!” The world’s greatest thief was a terrible liar, especially considering how much practice she had with that particular untruth. Tightening her arms around a pillow, rolling herself with great effort so she could face the couch’s backrest, Carmen felt a great many things rush through her...none of them good. “Tell her to never come back!”

“Cahm, you gotta talk to her sooner or later.” Ivy’s voice was closer now, and when Carmen glanced over her shoulder she saw the redhead lingering in the doorway of their loft. With one arm braced on the doorframe and the other resting on her hip, Ivy gave her friend a sympathetic - if slightly impatient look. “If nothin’ else, just to find out how she found our HQ, and if she told any of those ACME jokers. We been bustin’ our humps getting this place to feel like home sweet home, I don’t think any of us wanna leave it anytime soon.”

Carmen Sandiego tensed once more, and turned her head to face the couch again. She was lightly dressed - a pair of baggy boxers and a loose-fitting tank top, both kept slightly oversized to make room for the bandages that still crossed her agile body. Wrappings around her chest. Shoulder. Arms. Waist. All because of the same girl that stood outside waiting to be let inside. A heavy sigh ran through the young woman and she started to force herself up, struggling to take a seated position in the dead center of the couch. Soon her legs were crossed and she held the pillow squarely in her lap, her arms closing around it and her chin settling on the very top. With a few errant strands of hair hanging in front of her face, Carmen gave Ivy a tiny nod just before she murmured.

“I’d ask how I look, but...I don’t care.” The same sour, somber demeanor had been a staple of Carmen’s personality for the past three weeks, when she wasn’t unconscious, at least. “Let her in, Ivy. But if I call for you, I want you to throw her out as mean as you possibly can.”

“Ha! You got it, Cahm!” Ivy punched her open palm, grinning wide while flashing her friend a wink. “She’ll be right up, and if she upsets you I’ll make sure she eats them glasses of hers!”

With that, Ivy twisted on a heel and started to make her way down, leaving Carmen precious few moments to prepare herself. All around her was the foundation of the new home she was making with her friends - her family, as it were. Zack and Ivy and Shadow-san...the people that she trusted and loved. Their new headquarters was a place worth protecting, even if that meant that Carmen was going to have to bring herself face to face with...her.

She hugged the pillow tighter, and took a deep, steadying breath. If she could get through the next fifteen minutes without crying, it’d be a sure sign she was on the right path to recovery.

It didn’t take long for a tiny, timid figure to step around the corner from the stairs, peeking into the loft where Carmen sat in waiting on the couch. To say the moment she first arrived was awkward would be an understatement, and the tension hanging heavy in the air was greater than any of the heists Carmen had ever pulled. Stealing priceless artifacts and fleeing not only the authorities, but the deadly agents of VILE? That was easy. Seeing the crush that broke her heart? It was the most Carmen ever wanted to run from a room and leave a job half-finished.

“...hello.” The voice that filled the room was soft and sweet, but Carmen knew that was exactly how she lulled people in. That charming accent and that innocent tone, thrown in alongside a small adjustment of her glasses and a tiny twitch of that adorable nose. Right on schedule, her visitor did it all, shuffling forward with her hands folded at her front. She was dressed in clothes that Carmen had admittedly never seen her in - tight-fitting jeans and a simple button-up polo shirt. Strange clothes for a secret agent, and yet...certainly more inclined to fit in with a crowd than the usual suits the ACME losers wore. Soon, the girl stood a mere few feet away from the couch, and spoke again with that same infuriatingly tender tone. “Ivy says you’re recovering nicely. I’m pleased to hear it. When you opted to leave with your friends, I-”

“Save it, Agent Argent.” Carmen barely lifted her chin from the pillow, and her eyes narrowed upon the shy, seemingly-sweet girl before her. Even how she addressed the girl was laced with a venomous tone, sparing no sympathy for how Julia instantly flinched upon hearing her title rather than her name. “Just tell me how you found our headquarters, and if you told your boss already. I bet you couldn’t wait to get that pat on the head.”

The words Carmen offered up her harsh, firm, and laced with anger that had been brewing for three weeks. The last time she saw Julia before that moment was when she was laying flat in the snow, looking up through eyes she could barely hold open. She saw the ACME chief. Their countless, suited agents. And in the very back, watching it all happen...Julia. The last face Carmen saw before she lost consciousness that night. The face that led her down that path to begin with. The face that now shook swiftly from side to side, nose scrunching and eyes closing in a firm condemnation of Carmen’s words.

“No, I swear to you, Carmen!” Julia bit her bottom lip, wincing before she found the strength to continue. “I left my pen back in France and took an extended leave. I’ve been here every day, just hoping...hoping you’d let me in so I could try to talk to you! So I could explain what happe-”

“What’s to explain? You set me up.” Carmen scoffed, giving the girl a flat look, and slowly starting to shift her position. She tossed the pillow to the floor and spun back to face the back of the couch, soon flopping onto her side and tucking her knees against her once more. Curled up in a near-fetal position, Carmen didn’t even look at Julia as she spoke. “You’re a secret agent. I’m a thief. It was stupid of me to trust you, and I paid the price.”

“...there’s so much more to it than that.” Julia’s whisper was soft, aching, and if the girl really was faking she was a damn better actress than anyone else in ACME. Carmen wasn’t watching, but she heard Julia step forward and gently drop to her knees, landing with a tiny thud a foot away from the edge of the couch. The young detective was bold, considering everything they had been through, daring to stretch out with one of her hands in a gentle reach towards Carmen. Fingers soon closed around the girl’s shoulder, just to the side of her tank top’s strap. With her touch resting on Carmen’s dark skin Julia whispered in a tiny tone, her voice sounding desperate and pleading. “Please, let me explain? If I’m to be found guilty by you, at least let me confess.”

The touch was almost searing to Carmen. Her eyes shut tight, her body went rigid, and she could feel the sting of tears forming against her lashes. She suddenly cursed herself for casting aside the pillow, and since she couldn’t hide her face in it she did her best to turn her cheek against the couch, wishing she could burrow deep, deep inside of it. Carmen Sandiego wasn’t a girl that ever felt weak. Ever felt scared. But this? This was a hardship she had never known, either back on VILE island or anywhere in the greater world beyond.

Still...pain aside, Carmen was strong. She gave Julia the order to speak with a simple nod, and hugged herself a little tighter as she tried to ignore the touch of the girl against her shoulder. The fingers released their grip slightly but soon smoothed down across her arm, working down Carmen’s bicep until she finally found her hand at the other girl’s elbow. There Julia let her hand gently rest while she spoke, and once more her voice was laced with sweetness and tenderness - all carried with an accent that Carmen found intensely charming, despite the pain and the anger rolling through her.

“I swear to you, Carmen, I didn’t know that ACME agents were following us to the belltower. And when they attacked you...when I saw you going down, I…” Her hand tightened by pure reflex, and she made a tiny choking noise from the back of her throat. “It wasn’t how I wanted the evening to go. I promise you.”

“Hmph.” Carmen grunted, doing her damndest to resist. Even after all that happened, Julia was just...just so...enchanting. The first girl Carmen ever had a crush on. The first girl the famous thief ever saw that made her heart leap in her throat. This was a far cry from the confident flirtations she offered Julia in the past. Those were fun because she was always in control! Making Ms. Argent blush, making her stumble over her words, making her gasp and giggle...Carmen would’ve done anything to go back to that old dynamic. Teasing Julia at a distance was much less painful than suffering right in front of her. “S...So what? So you just wanted to bring me over to ACME. Even if you didn’t know about the ambush, that’s...that’s all you see me as.”

The touch on Carmen’s elbow intensified. It wasn’t firm enough to hurt, but it was indeed strong enough to roll her back to lay flat on the couch, even though Carmen decidedly didn’t want to. Whether it was the super thief’s weakened state or a certain hidden strength within Julia Argent, Carmen was left helpless as she was pulled forward and the full weight of her emotions were left exposed. Eyes weak with tears lining her cheeks. An upset blush crossing her face. A quivering lip, trying so very, very hard to be brave.

And when she was rolled flat, Carmen looked up in shame...only to see that Julia was every bit her match. Tears were resting against the inside of Julia’s glasses’ lenses, caught by the oversized rims. Underneath her line of sweet freckles she wore a heavy pink blush, and even her lip trembled with the same heartache Carmen’s own did. Her hands rested on the other girl’s wounded body - one at her elbow and the other at her opposite shoulder, and Julia spoke with a voice that ached with emotion from the back of her throat.

“I didn’t ask you there for any reason other than...than…” She had made some bold motions, but emotional bravery was a rough road for the timid young woman. It was fading fast, and she needed to work her words past her lips before she found herself fleeing in shame and embarrassment. “I wanted some time alone with you, without you running away before I have a chance to blink!”

Carmen Sandiego, a girl that could adapt to any situation she could think of, was left with large, confused eyes and a single squeak from the back of her throat.

“...what?”

“You...you fluster me so much! Like on the train, and at the fashion show, and...and…” That little word from Carmen had called forth a torrent. A cascade of pent-up emotion and ranting thoughts that Julia had been holding inside for far, far too long. “And every time I think of something to say, you’re already gone! You never give me the chance to answer! I’m always left behind trying to wrap my head around what just happened, wondering if you really are innocent of all these crimes or if I just think that because you’re so prett-”

The girl caught herself mid-sentence, a tiny gasp rising from her throat as her hands suddenly moved to her lips. The blush riding underneath her freckles intensified, not just for her tiny admission but for every exchange of the past moment or so. Julia Argent wasn’t the sort to be so upfront and forward, and once her surge of adrenaline and frustration wore off the timid girl hiding underneath it started to emerge. Her eyes went large behind her glasses, and she even started to shuffle her knees, as if she was readying herself to stand and flee.

Carmen didn’t give her the opportunity. Before Julia’s most flee-worthy instincts took over, the thief lunged forward, acting on impulses of her own. It caused her some strain and discomfort from her injuries to do so, but it was worth it as Carmen closed the distance between them, pressing their chests together as she forced a tight embrace around the other girl. There was a tiny thud as their bodies connected followed by a soft gasp squeezed fresh from Julia’s lips, and as soon as the impact was made Carmen buried her face against the agent’s neck and tightened her hold for all she was worth.

She didn’t really know what to say. Having “the talk” about boys on VILE’s island wasn’t something Black Sheep ever had, let alone what to do when it came to girls. Even now, despite the fact that Carmen was a fresh adult, she was so focused on her work and on the search for her past that such things never popped into her mind...save for when Julia was nearby. She squeezed the other girl all the tighter, shutting her eyes as fiercely as she could, and affording herself a few brief seconds where she could simply...enjoy it. The tiny frame of the other girl, trembling in her arms. The sweet and pleasant smell - even if Julia was dressed devoid of fashion, it was clear her taste in mild perfume was just as it was when they first met face to face on the train. After three weeks of suffering, Carmen Sandiego was happy to steal a precious few seconds for herself, all while trying to properly process just what Julia said.

Maybe...maybe she wasn’t as guiltless in all this as she thought. And maybe, as was confirmed by the arms slowly raising to hold around her in return, these feelings weren’t quite as strange as she feared. She could feel Julia’s face reciprocate the motion of her own - leaning down to bury half against Carmen’s throat and half upon her bare shoulder. Julia’s hands pressed flat to her back before her fingers curled inward, clinging to the young woman’s shirt and gently scratching her back in the process. Things were indeed awkward between them just a few seconds ago, but as soon as the hug was offered those frustrated sensations started to melt away, quick to be replaced by butterflies in their stomachs and a heat that neither girl was expecting to confront that afternoon.

Carmen remained quiet for now, half-worried of shattering the beauty of that moment, half-content in what was the most intimate contact she had ever known. In a way, this was as much as she could’ve ever hoped for...and a perfect fit for what she could expect in the unique life of a super thief. The rest of her family was certainly a strange fit, so why would her romantic life be any different? She quivered within the embrace, happily keeping her eyes closed and drawing in long draughts of Julia’s scent, and ultimately even though Carmen had the bravery to start the embrace it was the secret agent that had the strength to end it. Their bodies started to part as Julia’s face left Carmen’s shoulder, though thankfully for the hearts of both young women, it didn’t fade away completely. As Julia pulled herself back she ensured that she didn’t move so far away that her forehead couldn’t press to Carmen’s, and in a moment of quiet proximity she found the strength to seize her rambling and speak in a soft, thoughtful voice.

“So...so what does this mean, Ms. Sandiego?” Her whisper was gentle, tiny, and spoken with a breath shared by the thief still pressed against her, Both girls had moved their hands to rest upon the other’s arms, and though Julia knelt on the floor beside the couch, Carmen was looming forward to ensure they were mostly face-to-face. When the soft question was spoken between them Carmen gave it a long moment of thought, chewing on what would be an undeniably loaded answer.

“Jules…” The answer she prepared didn’t make it further than that first word, for the gasp that rolled through Julia was enough to make Carmen blink. She peeled her head back and gently cocked it to the side, giving the agent a quizzical look. Julia’s gasp rolled through her with such intensity that the emotion behind it was obvious, and she even sniffled as she moved a hand upward to adjust her glasses in a nervous fidget.

“I...I’m sorry, I just…” A chew of her lip. A scrunch of her nose. Everything that made her so adorably irresistible to Carmen. “I was half-afraid that with everything that happened, I’d never hear you call me that again.”

It was the final confession that broke what few barriers were left between them. What happened in Stockholm was a true disaster, but if Julia had any fault in it, then so to did the girl that flirted shamelessly with her for months. ACME was the one that put Carmen in danger...not their kindest, cutest agent. With that knowledge firmly in mind and the affection between them hitting a fevered pitch, Carmen moved her hands from Julia’s arms, all the way across her shoulders until she dared to scoop them against her cheeks. The warm flesh flushed further underneath her touch, and Julia gazed forward with her eyes looking even bigger than usual, thanks to the magnification of her glasses at such a close distance. Carmen’s thumbs slid gently, travelling from freckle to freckle, tracing Julia’s cheekbones, until finally she couldn’t hold herself back any further. With a tiny whisper she began to lean forward, making a beeline for Julia’s lips with her own.

“You’ll always be Jules to me.”

The kiss that followed wasn’t just the first for Carmen, but for the shy, introverted agent as well. The gentle contact rode between them with shared gasps of innocent attraction, and both Carmen and Julia alike were so inexperienced that it wasn’t until the kiss was nearly five seconds old before they finally allowed their eyes to close. Soon, Carmen could feel the bump of Julia’s glasses against her face as the other girl pressed back against her, and all of the still-sore injuries of her past trial simply seemed to fade. Stepping aside, for the moment, so she could enjoy this perfect kiss in peace.

The two young women remained in their respective positions only for a few moments - between Julia kneeling on the floor and Carmen slouched over from the couch, it was hardly comfortable for either. When Julia began to lean forward it was at the behest of the other girl, with Carmen rocking back as much as she could without breaking the kiss, all while tugging at Julia’s shirt collar. Amidst the shared breath and the constant attention the two paid to one another’s lips Julia finally managed to slip ahead, bracing one knee against the edge of the couch and nearly ready to fall into Carmen’s lap - pausing only to speak in a precious whisper that was barely above the sound of her breath.

“I...I don’t want to hurt you…” Her worries had no place that afternoon, and Carmen was prepared for the weight of her friend. The master thief sealed their kiss firmly once more before her hands drew a little more bold, one tightening against Julia’s back as the other clapped against her jeans-clad rump, pulling her into position. With a tiny oof from both girls Julia dropped into Carmen’s lap, straddling her and pinning her flat to the back of it. Only once the agent was in place did Carmen whisper to her in return, ensuring that each and every word she spoke brought another brush of their moistening lips together.

“Best I’ve felt all month.”

There was a faint giggle that slipped from one girl’s mouth to the other, infectious between them as their lips worked in earnest pleasure. With their eyes both closing and Julia finally settled in a comfortable spot, the two were free to truly lose themselves in their first, wonderfully sweet kiss. Julia’s fingers found their way into Carmen’s loose locks of brown hair, pulling free the lazy ponytail she wore so she could thread her fingers deep into the curls, just like she had dreamed of doing since the rain. Carmen, meanwhile, slid one hand flat against the small of Julia’s back as the other rested in a surprising chaste grip against her rear end - one thumb looped into the back pocket of her jeans. Once the two had a delightful hold on each other the kiss slowly continued to build, Julia’s quivering lips moving delicately across Carmen’s, her heart racing and butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach.

The two girls shared tiny whimpers of nervous excitement, and each one was hoping desperately not to convey just how anxious they were in that moment. From the supposedly-professional secret agent to the ultra-competent super thief, they were the last pair that should have been left with weak knees and a light head thanks to a chaste kiss, and yet that was exactly what struck them as their time together continued. When one of them felt as if the nervousness was about to bubble over there were thankfully things to keep them calm - the scent of Julia’s hair, the feeling of Carmen’s fingers resting on Julia’s backside, or simply the shared warmth that came from the agent straddling the other girl’s lap. They were learning a great deal about intimacy that afternoon, and it wasn’t a lesson that either one of them was expecting when the morning began.

Eventually, the time came for one of them to take the daring next step. It was something they no doubt were thinking of, something weighing on their mind with just as much intensity and importance as their next breath. It was Julia that took the charge, rewarding Carmen for first closing the distance between them by letting her lips part just enough for the tiny muscle of her warm, wet, pink tongue to creep forward. It pushed between her teeth and over her lips, moving forward just enough to tap one of Carmen’s own. Exploratory. Adventurous. Knocking on the door and seeking permission to come in.

What she received for her bravery was a whimpering moan breathed from the depths of Carmen’s throat, and then a joyful rush of the thief’s tongue, moving to meet her friend’s in the center of their kiss. Fluid and smooth was the transition to a deeper kiss between the two, with Julia practically melting atop Carmen’s lap and the dark skinned young woman fairing no better. While tongues wove back and forth, wrestling gently and playfully with each other, the two drew deeper and deeper into the moment. So lost in the kiss that they didn’t even realize when Ivy came around the corner from the stairs in order to check in on them, took one peek, and turned back with a blush and a giggle.

“Way to go, Cahm. Knew you two were meant to go together.” She whispered to herself halfway down the stairs, for fear of disturbing them. From there, the scrappy assistant to Carmen Sandiego went back to her work, content that on the second floor of the headquarters her best friend was finally, finally getting the healing and attention she needed. She even gave herself a pat on the back, preening proudly as she did so.

Letting Julia know the location of their headquarters was a smart move after all!

***

It was just a week after Julia’s visit, and Carmen Sandiego was still confined to the couch. Even with the newfound connection she made with the secret agent she was still wounded and in need of care, although for the last seven days that care had come far sweeter than before. Julia Argent was there at the headquarters nearly every morning at the exact same time, and each day she left under the cover of night after a long day spent tending to her girlfriend.

Girlfriend. Neither one of the two ever thought that their relationship would come to such terms, and yet for the past long week they were free to enjoy it. Long hours spent cuddling on the couch, cute exchanges during which Julia spoon-fed Carmen chicken soup, even though she was entirely capable of eating it on her own. Aside from a few awkward glances from Shadow-san and the occasional drop-in from Ivy, it was just the two of them...and it gave the pair the private time they were so desperately overdue.

But soon, that private time would be shattered once more, and the two women would yet again be on different sides of a three-part war. Thankfully, they had plenty of time to prepare for just that.

“So, when we get back to it, we’ll be heading to Venice first.” Carmen was snuggled on the couch beside her girlfriend, one arm around Julia’s waist while her free hand held a tablet with their intended destination. “Shadow-san thinks that VILE has a line in the counterfeit art trade there.”

“Ohh, Venice, how lovely!” Julia mused, tapping her chin as she tipped her head to the side, resting it atop her girlfriend’s. “Such a shame we’re not going during the Carnival of Venice. Did you know it started in the 11th century, but in the 18th it fell out of practice?”

“At least until 1979.” Carmen responded with a smile, sharing in her girlfriend’s lust for history knowledge. “They brought it back, and to this day it stands as a celebration of Venice’s art and culture, attended by as many as three million people!”

The two girls laughed, sighed contently, and snuggled as they basked in historical facts. After a few short seconds Carmen turned her attention back to the tablet, pausing only long enough for Julia to steal a kiss against her forehead.

“We’ll be landing there on Tuesday, but Player can play around with flight records and make it seem like it’ll be Thursday. So if you can convince ACME of that, we’ll be able to scope out the situation before VILE gets a chance to scare them off.” With the kiss still fresh on her forehead, she swiftly turned to smooch Julia’s cheek in return. “Do you think you can convince them?”

“I certainly think so.” Julia nodded, and scrunched her nose. “The Chief encouraged me to take time off after Stockholm, but I think she’ll be glad that I’m back on the job. So long as the clues Player leaves are convincing, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good.” Carmen nodded, and with a press of her thumb turned off the tablet and tossed it aside. From there she slumped back, drifting deeper into Julia’s arms and blowing at an errant strand of red hair that fell before her forehead. “But I guess at that point, it’s back to us barely seeing each other again.”

“We’ll find the time.” Julia whispered in sweet response, and moved her arms tighter around the thief. She ushered Carmen’s head to rest back against her chest by means of delicate fingers teasing underneath her chin, and once the girl did as suggested she leaned in close to share a kiss with her. From their first to what had to be their thousandth, and it was just as goosebump-worthy to Carmen as ever. Julia let their lips linger close together in the aftermath, sharing in her girlfriend’s breath before finishing her thought with a sweet whisper. “Now that we’re looking for it. No more running from me, though?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Carmen murmured sweetly, just before her eyes closed and she burrowed herself against the embrace of her girlfriend. She took a deep breath, basking in the scent of the sweet French beauty, losing herself in her warmth and comforted in the knowledge that finally...finally...they were on the same side. Even if they had to pretend they weren’t. “Can’t imagine why I ever did, Jules.”

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! If you did, check me out on [Twitter.](http://www.twitter.com/DraceTales) Just be advised, my work is usually a loooooot dirtier than this!


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